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Defense agency erases recognition of Pride, Black History Month & other commemorations, leaked memo shows

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A full length portrait of Alan K Campbell, director, left, and Dr J Rupert Picott, executive director of the US Office of Personnel Management Headquarters, standing next to a Black History Month exhibit and holding a copy of President Carter's statement, Washington, DC, 1976.

A message to employees of the Defense Intelligence Agency spelled out the changes.

Christopher Wiggins

Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support. In addition to his national and political reporting, Wiggins represents The Advocate in the White House Press Pool and is a member of several professional journalistic organizations, including the White House Correspondents’ Association, Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, and Society of Professional Journalists. His involvement in these groups highlights his commitment to ethical journalism and excellence in the field. Follow him on X/Twitter @CWNewser (https://twitter.com/CWNewser) and Threads @CWNewserDC (https://www.threads.net/@cwnewserdc).

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The Trump administration has removed federal recognition of Pride Month, Black History Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and other cultural observances, cutting off decades of recognizing marginalized communities within the federal government.

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A Defense Intelligence Agency memo obtained byNBC News orders the immediate pause of all agency-led commemorations, special observances, and employee resource groups, part of a larger effort to gut diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, or DEIA, programs across federal agencies. The directive follows executive orders Trump signed on his first day back in office, including “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” and “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.”

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Federal holidays, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, will still be observed, but all workplace events, programming, and moments of recognition tied to these observances are now prohibited.

The White House dodges questions on the directive

When pressed on the administration’s move to cancel Black History Month programming, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt deflected, confirming that Trump would sign a proclamation recognizing the month but refusing to say whether federal agencies should reinstate events they had already canceled.

“The president looks forward to signing a proclamation celebrating Black History Month,” Leavitt said during her second press briefing before the White House press corps at the White House on Friday afternoon. “It’s in the works of being approved, and it’s going to be ready for the president’s signature to signify the beginning of that tomorrow.”

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Asked whether agencies should reverse the cancellation of Black History Month programs, Leavitt dodged. “The president is leading here at the White House, and I’ll leave it to the proclamation that he will sign very soon,” she said.

Trump and his allies have attacked these programs as “wasteful” and “divisive.”

Critics say Trump is sending a message that marginalized communities “do not count”

The administration’s decision has been met with immediate backlash. On MSNBC Friday afternoon, anchor and Washington Post opinion columnist Jonathan Capehart said the move sends a chilling message to federal employees and communities nationwide.

“What it says to those employees is that the federal government, from the President of the United States on down, does not care about you,” Capehart said. “For someone to be able to walk into their workplace knowing that their agency, their bosses, acknowledge the fact that they’re African American or that they’re Jewish, or that they’re Native American or AAPI or LGBTQ, it makes that person feel welcomed and that their contributions are valued. And what we’re seeing from the president on down is that if you are not a white, straight,Christian, cisgender male, you do not count.”

Holocaust Remembrance Day WASHINGTON - APRIL 15: Candles are lit during the Holocaust Day of Remembrance Ceremony inside the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol which is led by Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, on April 15, 2010, in Washington, DC. The event was held by the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Astrid Riecken/Getty Images

Amy Spitalnick, president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, pointed to Holocaust Remembrance Day’s inclusion on the list of canceled events as part of a disturbing pattern of whitewashing history.

“We know that protecting an inclusive, pluralistic democracy in which each and every community is safe is inherent to Jewish safety,” Spitalnick said. “So if one community is under attack—whether it’s in the form of attacks on the Black community, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, or others—it ultimately threatens Jewish safety as well.”

She warned that removing these observances is part of a more considerable effort to erase history and weaken protections for marginalized people.

“The elimination of DEI programs, the attacks on teaching Black and Native history, the bans on gender studies—it’s all part of a larger effort to whitewash history so that we can’t learn from it,” she said.

LGBTQ+ rights at risk as Trump administration rolls back protections

The rollback of Pride Month and LGBTQ+ workplace recognition is fueling concerns about the future of LGBTQ+ rights, particularly after Trump’s executive orders eliminating federal recognition of transgender identities.

Among the first executive orders that Trump signed was one that said that the U.S. government only recognizes two genders according to male and female sex.

“There are millions of Americans who are watching what’s happening and wondering not only what has happened to their country but also whether they are even safe in their own country,” he said. “When you have the federal government, helmed by a president who thinks nothing of degrading you and trashing you before the nation, these questions about your own personal safety and the safety of your loved ones become paramount.”

Rep. Robert Garcia: “Trump has lost his mind”

Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the first out gay immigrant elected to Congress, told The Advocate Friday morning that Trump’s fixation on attacking marginalized communities is both “obsessive” and “dangerous.”

“He’s clearly lost his mind… He has no ability to be presidential during a national tragedy,” Garcia said, referring to Trump’s press conference Thursday in which he blamed DEI programs for a deadly air collision at Reagan National Airport.

Garcia, who has been outspoken in defending LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights, said Trump’s continued targeting of transgender people and DEI programs is a deliberate attempt to divide America and erase civil rights gains.

Rep Robert Garcia WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 12: Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) speaks at a news conference on TikTok on March 12, 2024 in Washington, DC.Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

“He’s obsessed with trans people, and he’s obsessed with the idea of diversity,” Garcia said. “They believe that diversity is a negative in this country when we are the opposite. Diversity has made our country stronger. It makes our country fairer. The strongest country in the world is a diverse one.”

Garcia urged Americans—especially those in the LGBTQ+ community and communities of color—to go beyond “resisting” Trump’s agenda and take action.

“We have to be very loud. And I think I understand that a lot of people feel defeated—I do, too. And a lot of people feel tired, and I do as well. But I think people need to start re-engaging,” Garcia said. “It’s beyond resisting. Just resisting alone doesn’t work. You actually have to go on offense.”

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